Cotton comber



Nov. 17, 1925' J. JOLLY Como" comma Filed Jan. 16, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 17, 1925" J. JOLLY COTTON comma Filed Jan. 16, 1923 5 Sheets Sheet' 2 IN NTOR A RN Y J. JOLLY COTTON COMBER Nov. 17, 1925- 5 Sheet-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. l6, 1923 Nov. 17 1925 1,561,931

J. JOLLY COTTON COMBER Filed Jan; 16, 192,3 5 Sheets- Sheet 4 as aw Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

entree STATES PATENT ()FFECSE.

JAME'SJJQL'LY, or Benson, EneLananssre-noefro w'ItITIN ivmoiirnn won-Ks, 0F WHITINsVILLE, MisssAenUsnrr-s, A 'eonronarzon or MASSACHUSETTS.

common comma.

'Application filed January 16, 1923. Serial No. 612,929.

To all "Lo/10mit may concern V Be it known that I, Jnr'rns JOLLY, a sub ject of theKing of Great Britain, residing in Bolton, Lancashire, England, have invented the following described Improvements in Cotton Combers.

This invention relates to Hellman type combing machines, more especially to socalled double combe'rs, and certain features of the invention are capable of use with advantage in single combers as will appear below. The objects include general improvements in the organization and operation of the drive-head mechanism adapting the same to be readily assembled and easily kept in repair, and also the provision of means whereby the operator may optionallyoperate the comber heads on one or both sides of a double comber as desired and may stop those on one side without stopping those on the other, and also the organization with such control means and other parts of a scavenging system for removing the combed w-aste, which system is so related to the other drive-head parts that it may be started in operation in advance of the comber heads, and whereby either side'of a double comber may be stopped without affecting the ren'i'oval of waste from the other side. These and other objects which will hereinafter appear are accomplished in the form of double comber now preferred and taken for illustration in the accon'ipanying drawings and it will hereinafter appear that the principles incorporated in the illustrated machine may be easily incorporated in other, and widely different forms of combers.

In the accompanying drawings 1, is an end elevation with parts broken away of the drive hea'd end of the said comber;

Fig. 2, is a vertical transverse section on a plane indicated by line 11%11 of Fig. 3 but illustrating one of the co'mher heads in vertical section;

Fig. 3, is a top plan of the drive-head end of the machine with certain parts broken away, or shown in section;

Fig. i, is a large scale detail, partly in axial section, of one of the two main gear wheels and the operators control mechanism;

latter mechanism as will, be later described;

Fig. is a detail plan of apart of the Fig. 6, is a larger scale plan of one comber-head,parts being broken away and shown in section, and

Fig. 7, is a rear or inside elevation of the n'ipper frame removed from its normal support.

p The figures above referred to show. as much of the complete comberas will be necessary for those skilled in this: art to make and use the invention and thoroughly understand its principles. For brevitys sake they do not'illust-rate' more than the drive head proper and the essential parts of the next adjacent comber head, but it will be understood that the complete mach ne comprises the drive-head, and a plurality of comber heads all of identical design and all actuated by thedrive-head mechanism, and

that it is-suppli'ed with an appropriate d'elivery mechanism, at the end opposite the drive-head, as usual. The somber heads are disposed in parallel rows on opposite sides of the central longitudinal 'plane of a common fran' 'eworkand faced in opposite directions. Referring to the drawings, the framework of the c'omber comprises a series of usual leg sections appropriately united by and supporting a table girder lwhich forms the support for aseries of upstanding frame sections. The terminal frame section at the drive-head end, is marked 2 and the next adjacent upstanding or intermediate section is marked 8, it being'understood that there are some six or more section's, identical with section 3, distributed along the length of the girder 1, as usual, and according to the number of co'mber heads. The space between the terminal frame'section 2 and the next adjacent section 3 contains most of the mechanism constituting the drive-head, and the spaces between every two of the intermediateuprights 3 contain the elements constituting the comher heads. In a double co1n ber each such space accommodates two comber heads which, as stated, "face in opposite directions so as to form two opposedand parallal rows ofcomber head's, one on each side of the machine. Each of these rows of comher heads is associated with a sliver table 4 extending the length of the machine. The combed slivers are delivered by the comber heads on each side onto these tables and are passed along them, by usual means tn the draw box and deliver mechanism ill (not shown) at the opposite end. All this general arrangement is common in the art and needs no detailed illustration or description so far as the present invention is 0011- ccrned. The comber heads may be identical in design and function, and their principal elements are actuated by longitudinal shafts which are journaled on the intermediate frame sections and extend into the drive-head space where they are provided with gears, the latter being organized in suitable gear trains and appropriately driven so as to atuate all the elements of the comber heads of both sides or rows. Each side of the double comber is provided with its own set of these shafts and gears, similarly and symmetrically arranged in the machine frame as will be observed in the drawing and later explained.

The general organization being as above briefly outlined and being, in fact quite the same as heretofore proposed for double combers, I pr ceed to the description of one of the comber heads, it being understood that all the comber heads are identical in construction. The roll of cotton lap to be combed, shown by dotted circle in Fig. 2, is placed upon the two creel rollers 5 and the lap is delivered therefrom to the swinging I nipper frame 6, wherein it passes beneath the feed roll 7 and into the nipper jaws 8, bywhich its projecting end is held in the path of the half-lap needles on the revolving comb cylinder 9. After such projecting end has been combed by the cylinder the nipper frame swings forwardly and lays the combed tuft upon the rear end of the last preceding combed tuft which still remains held in the bite of the rear pair of detaching rollers 10, whereupon said rollers rotate forwardly as the nipper frame swings baokwardly, thus detaching the combed tuft from the lap and at the same time overlapping it or piecing it with the previously combed material. In passing to the rollers, the tail of the tuft is drawn through the depending teeth of a top comb 11. From the detaching rollers 10, the material or fleece passes into the sliver pan 12 and thence through the trumpet and condenser rolls, 58 on to the sliver table 4. The nipper frame 6 swings on trunnions 6 forming a horizontal axis and is moved back and forth by means of a connecting rod 13 and a crank on a longitudinal rock shaft 14. All of the several parts carried by the swinging frame including the top comb 11, are operated by the effect of such swinging movement, according to the principles disclosed in my prlor application Patent No. 1,446,750 dated February 27, 1923, to which reference may be had for further details of this type of combing head. The present construction differs from the prior application howeve in respect to the means whereby the sw ing of the frame operates to raise the upper nipper jaw knife 8, when the frame swings forward toward the detaching rolls. According to the present invention, the rear upturned arms 15 of the nipper knife are pivotally connected to one of the members 16 of a knuckle joint 16, the other member of which, 17, is pivotally attached to apart fixed on the machine frame. When the nipper frame is swung forward, by the operation of the rock shaft 14, as above described, the hinging of the knuckle joint 16 permits the initial forward movement to occur without operation of the nipper knife.

When the abutments of the knuckle joint come together, the restraint thus exercised on the nipper knife arms causes the latter to be rocked on their axes as the nipperframe continues its forward movement, thereby opening the nippers. One of the abutment members of the knuckle joint is provided with an abutment screw, shown in the member 16, which makes the joint adjustable, as will be obvious, to control the time of nipper opening. This adjustment more easily made and the operation is quieter than the cam roller means for the same purpose disclosed in said application. Other wise the construction and operation of the nipper frame parts are the same fully disclosed in said application. In Figs. 6 and 7 the levers 7 are the holding arms for the lap feed roller 7, these being under the pull of the springs 7". The arms 11 arethe arms of the top comb 11. The nipper knife 8 is carried by the pair of front arms 8 secured to the cross rods 8 which are journaled in the side walls of the nipper frame. The rear nipper knife arms 15 are set-screwed to these cross-rods S inside the frame. The springs 15 urge the said armsupwardly and hence press the nipper knife 8 against the cushion plate. On account of the small scale of Fig. 2, many of these parts are omitted or shown without refer ence numerals. The nipper frame is hung by its gudgcons (i on the framing so that it can be bodily removed when desired.

Each rock shaft 14-, operates all the comber heads of one row and each is extended into the (lilVG-llfid, where it carries fast thereon a forked quadrant arm 15%, the fork members of which carry adjustable abutment screws engaging opposite sides of a cam lever 19. This lever 19 is loosely mounted on shaft 14 and carries a cam roller engaged in the groove of a face cam 20, secured to or forming part of g wheel 21, and by means of which the shaft is rocked through the appropriate angle. The adjustment of the screws in the quadrant arm 18 changes the angular position of the rock shaft with reference to the cam eve and thus *aries the swing-p" l1 the nipper mechanism.

At convenient point, each rock shaft 14 is connected by crank and link mechanism 22 with a ratchet wheel-23 and associated gearing arranged for intermittently driving the creel rollers 5 to supply the lap to that side of the coinber. As will be observed in Figs. 1 and 2, this link mechanism is adjustable to vary the stroke of the pawl so that the creel rollers may be set to the correct amount of rotation conforming to the advance of the lap by the feed roller 7 in the swinging nipper mecha nism. The detail of the creel roller mechanism is not import-ant and will be understood from the drawings. It will be apparent thatthe oscillation of rock shaft 14, operates all the parts of the nipper mechanism and the creel.

Eachof gear wheels 21, above referred to, is mounted fast on shaft 2 which is the comb cylinder shaft for the corresponding side of the machine, and these wheels are therefore the index gears. They are driven in the present case, each by a pinion 25 appropriately ourna-led between the two gears and close to the longitudinal center of the somber. The detail of the mounting of both pinions 25 is shown in larger scale in Fig. 4e, wherein. it will b I seen that the pinion is formed on one end ofa sleeve 26, which also carries a brush-operating gear 27,

a clutch member 28 and a clutch collar 29.

The sleeve 26 is adapted to slide on its supporting shaft 30, which is journaled at one end in the frame section 2, and at the other upon an inte mediate frame bracket 31, mounted on the table girder 1. Each shaft 30 is keyed to a main driving gear 32 and may rotate wi gin and relatively to the sleeve 26. The gear 32 carries a clutch member 33 complementary to the sleeve clutch member 28, so that endwise movement of the sleeve 26 on the shaft 30 will cause the said sleeve and its two gears 25 and27 to be engaged to or released from the driving gear 32. The endwise movement of the sleeve is effected by a clutch lever 3% having its fulcrum axis supported on the fixed bracket 36and its operating arm extended downwardly, where it is subject to the tension of a spring 37, tending to close or engage the clutch members, and where it is also connected by a link 38 to a slide block 39. The slide block carries an upstanding roller 40 adapted for eng gement by the cam facc'of a cross slide il-l and the lat *1 is connected by link 42 to a bell crank 43 l ig, 3). This bell crank iournaled on a vertical stud on the corre sponding side or the girder l and its outer end is connected by pin and slot to the end of a control rod h mounted to slide horizontally in suitable lugs .25, fixed on the underside of the adjacent sliver table 4. hen the operator slides the rod at on one side or the other, in a direction toward the drive head, the corresponding clutch lever 34 is slide 41 is designed so that when it has disengaged the clutch members they will remain disengaged and the clutch-closing spring 35 will be held under tension, until the control rod ist has been restored to its former position.

The two gears 32, being duplicates and symmetrically mounted as stated, are connected together preferably by mutual engagement of their respective teeth, so that the rotation of one will rotate the other. As thus arranged, either one of the shafts 3O may'serve as the power shaft. For this purpose the right-hand shaft, in the present case, is extended beyond its bearing in the terminal frame section 2, where it is supplied with the usual fast and loose pulleys and a belt shipper, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, this being the point of application of power to the machine. I

Instead of such pulleys the shafts could be directly driven by electric power.

The brush-operating gear 27, on each sleeve 26, drives an idler 27 which is journaled in a bracket on the girder 1, and drives the gear i6 on the longitudinal brush shaft 4-7, which shaft,'on each side, carries the rotary scavenger brushes 48, which clean all the comb cylinders 9 of one side of the machine.

Each comb shaft or index gear 21 meshes on its outer side with a gear 49 on the cam shaft 50, by means of which the detaching and piecing rolls and the sliver table calender rolls are operated. The detaching and piecing motion, shown in the drawings,

will be recognized as the well known Nasmith detaching motion and will not require description further than to point out that it comprises two cams 51 and 52 on shaft 50. The former oscillates a rack segment 53 meshing with a gear 54 on the clutch shaft and the latter oscillates a clutch lever 55, which controls the clutch 56 on said shaft. The combined action of said cams results in imparting a certain forward movement to the clutch shaft in one direction followed by a movement of less extent in the reverse direction. This intermittent forward and back .motion is transmitted through the train of gears marked 57 to the front and rear detaching roll shafts 10, causing them to operate in proper relation to the swinging nipper mechanism to carry out the'we'll known Heilman comber cycle. The cam shaft drives the sliver table calender rolls 58 through the train of gearing marked 59. The function of these rolls, as will be an llO derstood, to draw the combed sliver from the trumpets and deliver them upon the sliver tables.

The same cam shaft also imparts the reciprocating motion to the top detaching and piecing roll and its connection for this purpose is clearly illustrated in 2. At some convenient point along the length of the comber, the shaft 50 is provided with an eccentric 60, appropriately connected to rock the rock shaft 61. The latter shaft carries a number of crank arms 62, which are con nected by links 63 to a lever 64 (dotted lines The upper end of this lever supports a holder arm 65, which holds the gudrz'eon of the rearward detaching roll. It will be obvious that the effect of these linlg and lever connections, of which there are two for each head, is to cause said rearward top detaching roll to be rolled backward and forward on the lower detaching roll syn chronously with the operation of the detaching motion, and for the purpose of facilitating the overlapping of the tuft. The rearward or inward ends of the holder levers 65 are connected by stirrup links 66 to levers 67 from each of which is hung a weight- 68". These weights-press the top detaching; roll upon the lower roll as will be evident. The two weight levers 67 for each head are adapted to be swung upwardly by the inward movement of the hand-operated push rod 68, which will thus relieve the rolls of pressure, as will also be obvious. Inasmuch as the cam shafts 50 are both driven from the comb cylinder gears 21 and the latter are driven from the pinions 25, it is obvious that the operators control member a l on each side of the machine is effective for starting or stopping whenever desired. all the combing elements on the corresponding side of the comber without affecting or requiring the stoppage of the combing ele ments on the opposite side.

Both rows of c-omber heads, are served by a common scavenging system, which is operated independently thereof. For his purpose such scavenging mechanism is connected to the source power at a point on the power side of the clutch mechanism, above referred to, so that it is in operation so long: as power is applied to the machine and whether either or both sides of the coinber are in operation. The scavenging system in it preferred form comprises a main, loiurirudinal, suction air trunk To, supported on the intermediate frame sections 3 nd provided with pairs of own sitely disposed. suction nozzles '21, re tively extending from the trunk to points adjacent the rear or inward side the scavenging brush 478 of each comber he: i and in position to draw away the waste that is taken up by the brush. from the half lap needles of the comb cylinder. At one end 1,se1,ea1

or at some convenient point in its length, the suction trunk 70 is cw nected to the sue-- tion side of a fan blov 72 and the outlet of said blower delivers the waste laden air onto a perforated drum 73 by means of which the waste is collected from the air and delivered into a conduit 74, through which it passes to some appropriate place of deposit The design of this waste-removing mechanism forms no part of the present invention, and is disclosed and claimed in a (to-pending application, Patent No. 1,479,392, filed by James J. McGowan. In stead of the system here n illustrated, any other suction or pneumatic waste-removing system could he substituted with like effect. In the present case, however, the suction fan is mounted on the comber-frarne and its rotor sha t "5 is extended through the end of t the terrain l .me section where it carries a pulley 76 (Fig. belted to a drive pulley 77, which is fast to the power shaft or to the fast pulley, or hand wheel 78. It will nt that by this connection, the scavenging, system is in opera tion whenever and for as long as power is applied to the machine and regardless of whether one side or the other, or both sides of the machine are in operation. By the arrangement described moreover, the scavenging; system is compelled to be put in operation in advance of starting the comber heads, because in the usual way of starting the comber, the belt shi r is first shifted to the fast pulley, which starts the scavenger system, and thereafter the control members a l are successively operated, to put the two sides of the comber in action. it is desirable that this sequence be followed in order that there shall be a. sufficient suction draft on each scavenger brush when it begins its operation, and thus avoid the possibility of stoppages.

ll hile I have herein described substantially all of the mechanism shown in the drawings, it will be understood that much of the. same has been referred to merely for the purpose of indicating; the relation of the invention thereto and for the purpose of a full ('sclosure thereof, and that there is no limitation intended to the particular design of the machine shown, except s specified in the appended claims, and to be particularly noted that the principles of or nization defined by said claims can be incorporated in variants types of cotton combers, irrespective of the type or mode of operation of tee com ine and detaching ineclianisn'i.

I claim i. A double comber comprising oppositely disposed rows of comber heads and a drivehead including a power shaft, two gears driven by said 5 "t, associated with each of said gears z a engaged thereto orreleased therefrom and respectively connected for driving one of said rows, and an operators control member for each of said means situated adjacent the row of comber heads driven thereby.

2. A double comber comprising a framework having two rows or comber heads mounted on opposite sides thereof, and a drive-head including a main power shaft, two gears driven by said shaft, a clutch member adapted to be driven by each of said gears, means driven by each clutch member and detachingroll shafts of each row, an operators control means located alongside of each row and connections whereby such means independently controls the operation of each of said gear-trains. y

4:. A double comber comprising a single framework incorporating two oppositely disposed rows of comber heads, each row comprising a comb cylinder shaft provided with an actuating gear at its end,'two driving gear-trains each including the gear on a comb-cylinder shaft and acontrol rod mounted parallel to each row and having connections for independently controlling the drive of the gear-train corresponding to that row, whereby the comber heads on each side of the comber may be started and stopped independently of the other,

5. A double comber comprising in a single framework, a drive head and two oppositely disposed rows of comber heads, the row on each side comprising a plurality of actuating shafts for driving the comber heads on that side, an actuating gear-train connected to the several shafts on each side, two main gear wheels connected together so that the rotation of one drives the other, a power shaft connected to one of said wheels and adapted to drive both of them and means for optionally establishing a driving connection between said main gear wheels and one or both said gear-trains.

6. A double comber comprising in a single framework, a drive head and two oppositely disposed rows of comber heads, each comprising a plurality of longitudinal actuating shafts, an actuating gear-train for the shafts on each side, two main gear wheels symmetrically mounted in the machine frame, one in each side of the drive-head and connected together so that the rotation of one drives the other, apower shaft connected to one of said wheels for driving both of them and means for optionally establishing a driving connection between each of said main gear wheels and one of said gear-trains.

7. A. double comber comprising'rows of comber heads, waste-removing means common to said rows, means for independently driving the comber heads of each row, and means independent of said driving means for driving said waste-removing means.

8. A double comber comprising opposed rows of comber heads, a pneumatic waste-removingsyste'm common to both rows, means for independently driving and controlling the comber heads on opposite sides and independent means for operating said wasteremoving system, whereby either row of comber heads may be stopped without affecting the waste removal from the other row.

9. In a comber, a comber head, a pneumatic waste-removing system therefor, and a drive-head including a power shaft, a clutching device, a gear set whereby said clutching device transmits power to the elements of said comber head and driving con nections between said power shaft and said waste-removing system independent of control by said clutching device.

10. A double comber comprising in a sin gle framework, opposite rows of comber heads, each comprising a comb cylinder shaft with comb cylinders thereon for each head, a drive head including a power shaft and control means whereby said shaft may be optionally caused to drive either or both of said cylinder shafts and a suction scavenger system common to both rows and driven by said power shaft independently of said control means.

11. A ,double comber comprising, in a frame, opposite rows'of comber heads each comprising a comb cylinder, waste-removing meanscomprising a central air trunk with opposite air nozzles extending toward and adapted to scavenge comb cylinders on opposite sides of the frame, gearing for op erating the comber heads on both sides, and means independent of the operation of said gearing for driving said waste-removing means.

12. A double comber comprising a drive head including a power shaft and two opposite rows of comber heads all mounted in a single framework, each comber head comprising a comb cylinder and scavenger brush, a central suction air trunk supported in said framework in the space between said brushes, suction conduits extending from opposite sides of said trunk to said brushes, a suction fan having a fan shaft and a bearing for said shaft supported in said framework and a driving means between said shaft and the power shaft.

13. A double comber comprising in a single framework, two independent rows of comber heads, a pneumatic waste-removing system having a suction trunk located between and common to both rows, a suction fan mounted on the framework below said trunk, means for controlling the drive of each row of comber heads independently of said fan.

14. In a comber, a frame, a plurality of rows of comber heads, a suction wasteremoving system therefor, comprising a longitudinal suction air trunk mounted in said frai'ne. a suction fan mounted in said frame beneath. said heads, a drive-head including a power shaft, geartrains whereby said power shaft drires said rows of comber heads, and said fan and means for stopping either row independently of the other and the fan.

15. A double comber comprising a framework having mounted therein two independent rows of combcr heads each con'iprising a comb cylinder shaft and each shaft having a gear, driving pinions for said gears located respectively in the space between them and means for optionally applying power to each or both of said pinions.

16. A double comber comprising a framework, two opposite rows of comber heads therein, each head comprising an upper support and a nipper frame hung thereon, a rock shaft connected to the nipper frames on each side and adapted to swing the same, a comb-cylinder shaft for each row, a gear on each comb-cylinder shaft, common source of power for driving both said gears, a cam on each comb-cylinder shaft and independent means whereby said cams oscillate said rock shafts.

17. A double comber comprising a single framework incorporating two independent rows of comber heads, each head comprising a swinging nipper frame, comb cylinder and detaching rolls, an actuating rock shaft for the nipper frame of each row, a comb cylinder shaft, two driving gear sets for operating said shafts and means controlling each gear set whereby either may be operated independently of the other.

18. A double comber comprising in a single framework, two rows of comber heads, each comprising a comb cylinder shaft with comb cylinders thereon for each head and nipper mechanism and detaching rolls, geartrains on each side of the framework for driving said rows, one of said gear-trains having a connection to a source of power and the other train being driven from the first, and clutch mechanism appurtenant to each train.

19. A double comber comprising a single framework having mounted therein two independent rows of comber heads and a drive head including :1. main power shaft, two gears driven by said shaft, each having a clutch adapted to drive all the combing elements in each row including a rock shaft for each row, and creel mechanism for each row respectively driven by said rock shafts.

20. In a comber, the combination of lap feeding means, combin means and detaching rolls, including a top detaching roll and means for weighting the latter comprising a stirrup, a lever connected to the lower end thereof, a weight connected to said lever and stirrup and manual means for engaging said lever for relieving the stirrup of said weight.

21. In a comber, the combination with the comb cylinder and detaching rolls, of a nipper frame carrying feed mechanism and a nipper knife arm and adapted to swing toward and from said rolls, and a knucklejoint connecting said arm to a relatively fixed part, said joint comprising abutment members limiting the angular movement of the joint-members, and adapted to cause the operation of the nipper knife at a predetermined point in the swinging movement of the frame.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

JAMES JOLLY. 

